YOU KNOW THEY’RE MALINGERING – BUT YOU’RE TOO SCARED TO CALL IT OUT

Tina Rahman

HR Habitat

HR Consultant

⚠️𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬’𝗥𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 -𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧

So you keep paying them even though you KNOW they're not sick.

So, one of your team members is off sick - but you're questioning whether their truly sick.

You feel horrible for even considering this, but you have some grounds to believe that the individual is malingering (or skiving, if you like).

Or do you?

You're not quite sure, but you know something isn't right.

What you do know is;
↳ They’re always off before deadlines
↳ The excuses come last minute
↳ The timing is too frequent to be coincidental

But it’s sickness, right?

And if you challenge it - you might land yourself in trouble.

So you avoid it.

And the cycle repeats.

One of our clients was stuck in this exact pattern (and let's face it, morale dips, and the overall output takes a hit);
↳ Repeated short-term absences from one employee
↳ Zero communication on return
↳ Constant pressure on the rest of the team to cover -and growing resentment

So, we got stuck in. We had to tread with caution because everyone is entitled to sick leave and sometimes it can be worse you think.

And ignoring malingering behaviour isn't fair to the rest of the team.

Here’s what we did:
↳ Analysed 6 months of absence data and identified clear behavioural patterns
↳ Flagged inconsistencies against their policy and ACAS thresholds
↳ Facilitated an informal, but structured wellbeing discussion - no accusations, just accountability
↳ Reinforced expectations around sickness conduct, communication, and the standards required
↳ Protected the company with documentation- without escalating to formal action (yet)

The result?
✔️ The employee admitted they’d been coasting - and it stopped immediately
✔️ Absence dropped by 75% over the following quarter
✔️ Estimated £6,400 saved in lost time, resourcing gaps, and admin
✔️ Team morale lifted - measured via feedback survey as up 38% after 6 weeks
✔️ And two other employees with similar patterns stopped testing the waters

We didn’t need to launch a disciplinary.
Because we acted before it became one.

That’s the power of knowing how to handle suspected malingering legally and empathetically.

Most businesses either:
❌ Say nothing and bleed quietly
❌ Or act too hard, too fast—and walk into a tribunal

We help you do neither.
We lead it right.

As your all-inclusive HR department for less than minimum wage.
Want to catch sickness abuse before it becomes a formal issue?

Book a free consultation:
https://lnkd.in/eSXgRSX5
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Tina Rahman

HR Habitat

HR Consultant

Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more.